According to Kazakh official media, the country plans to increase its coal production in 2026 to almost 129 Mt (116 Mt in 2024) (Kazinform International News Agency, 07/04/2026). The increase is expected to ensure a stable domestic supply and maintain the current export volumes. According to Kazinform, in 2025 Kazakhstan used 86 Mt for domestic use (electricity, utilities, industry), while 30 Mt were exported to Russia, Poland, Uzbekistan, Turkiye, India, Malaysia, among others. The country's has estimated coal reserves of about 34 billion tons, which are mainly located in two key regions in the Central (Karaganda coal basin, Turgai coal basin, Shubarkol and Zhalyn fields) and Northeast (Ekibastuz coal basin, Maikube coal basin and Karazhyra deposit) regions.
In March 2026, Kazakhstan approved its national project "Coal Power Development" which aims to implement investment initiatives to increase its national coal generation capacity to about 7.8 GW. According to Astana Times (07/04/2026), the government announced its efforts to attract investment to the sector, projecting an investment of KZT554bn (USD1.1bn) in 2026, representing an increase from the recorded KZT305bn (USD645m) in 2025, which is expected to be used on the promotion of "clean coal technologies". According to the plant, the country targets the construction of eight new coal-fired power plants with a total capacity of 5.3 GW, as well as modernization and expansion of 11 existing facilities with a combined capacity of 2.5 GW.